12 hrs ago
Punjabi Language Protests Spread Across Jammu and Kashmir
Sikh groups in Jammu and Kashmir are asking the government to give Punjabi more support.
On Friday, people protested in Srinagar, after demonstrations in Jammu earlier in the week.
They want Punjabi taught in schools and used in government work.
They say Punjabi is important to the culture of many people in the region.
Punjabi was left out of a 2020 law listing official languages.
That law recognized Dogri, Kashmiri, Hindi and English, alongside Urdu.
Some people welcomed recognition for their own languages, but Sikh organizations say Punjabi should also be included.
The protesters say they will continue their campaign and want the government to speak with Sikh representatives.
Sikh groups held a demonstration in Srinagar on Friday, extending protests previously staged in Jammu.
Protesters called for Punjabi to return to school curricula and be used in administration.
They criticized Punjabi’s exclusion from the J&K Official Languages Bill, 2020, and described it as discriminatory.
The bill recognized Dogri, Kashmiri, Hindi and English as official languages, alongside Urdu.
Some Dogras and Kashmiris welcomed recognition of their mother tongues, while Sikh organizations condemned Punjabi’s omission.
- Who
- Sikh organizations and community members in Jammu and Kashmir, including the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee.
- What
- Demonstrations demanding Punjabi’s return to school curricula and its recognition in official language use.
- Where
- Srinagar and several Jammu-region districts, including Jammu, Kathua, Samba and Udhampur.
- When
- A Srinagar protest took place on Friday; protests in Jammu occurred earlier that week.
- Why
- Protesters say Punjabi has been sidelined and its exclusion from the 2020 official-languages law harms linguistic and cultural rights.
Supporters of Punjabi recognition
Supporters of the 2020 language changes
Punjabi’s omission from official recognition
Supporters of Punjabi recognition
Sikh organizations say Punjabi’s exclusion is discriminatory and undermines linguistic rights; they want it restored in education and administration.
Supporters of the 2020 language changes
The article says Dogras and Kashmiris welcomed the bill’s recognition of their mother tongues, though it does not report their views specifically on Punjabi’s omission.
The 2020 official-languages change
Supporters of Punjabi recognition
Critics described the exclusion of Punjabi as politically motivated; legal experts cited in the article argued that the change contravened the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
Supporters of the 2020 language changes
The bill granted official status to Dogri, Kashmiri, Hindi and English alongside Urdu; the article reports that Dogras and Kashmiris welcomed recognition for their languages.
Key facts
- Srinagar protest venue
- Gurdwara Shaheed Bunga Sahib in Bagat Barzulla
- Organizers
- Sikh bodies including the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee and Punjabi Sahit Sabha
- Main demands
- Restore Punjabi in school curricula, recruit Punjabi teachers and include Punjabi in administrative use
- Official Languages Bill
- The J&K Official Languages Bill was approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2020
- Languages recognized in the bill
- Dogri, Kashmiri, Hindi and English, alongside Urdu
- Punjabi-speaking population
- The article says the Sikh community constitutes over 2 percent of J&K’s population, citing the 2011 Census
- Movement locations
- Protests were reported in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur and Srinagar
Quotes
Jagmohan Singh Raina
Chairman of the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee, quoted as reiterating the protest’s objections.
“The decision was “anti-minority” and had “bruised the sentiments of lakhs of Punjabi-speaking people.””
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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